Leave your brains at the door
REVIEW: Mehboob Bawa
JUDWAA 2 (Twins 2). Directed by David Dhawan.WithVarun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez,Tapsee Pannu, Anupam Kher, Rajpal Yadav. At Nu Metro, Canal Walk. Mehboob Bawa reviews. DIRECTOR David Dhawan directs his son, the talented Varun Dhawan, in this tiresome and dated remake of the 1997 hit film Judwaa. Varun tries his best to rise above the insipid material, but, bar a few funny scenes, his efforts are in vain.
Raja and Prem are twins, conjoined at birth, but surgically separated and then physically separated by a goon who has it in for their father. They grow up in different parts of the world, but a unique feat of medical science allows them to physically feel each other’s reflexes when they are in close contact. This “close contact” comes and goes at the whims of the director and writing team to suit the situation at hand.
It’s meant to be funny, but the humour falls flat. The film is very much a case of “leave your brains at the door”, but the illogical scenes leave a lot to be desired.
The film starts with a disclaimer that, as it is a light-hearted comedy, the film-makers had no intention of making fun of people with disabilities. But that’s exactly what they do, and in the poorest fashion.
The original starred superstar Salman Khan and was a big hit, and this sequel has had a terrific opening, too. There’s certainly no accounting for taste. The biggest problem is that director Dhawan doesn’t update his material at all.
The screenplay harks back to an era in the 1990s when bad comedies starring Salman Khan were plentiful, simply showcasing the actor’s histrionics riding on the back of his star power, but with no effort to provide a good story and humour.
Varun is a more talented actor than Khan and has the ability to shine even with average material, but here he tries to no avail.
The heroines are simply there to shake their bottoms in song sequences and look like bimbos. The supporting cast are wasted, and nothing makes sense in the script.
There is nothing much to recommend here, except the stunning locations and Varun’s antics, which come off at times due to his hard work. He is certainly deserving of better productions.